Overhead track.



C. M. STEVENSON.

OVERHEAD TRACK.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 27, 1911.

Patnted Sept. 19,1911.

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G. M. STEVENSON.

OVERHEAD TRACK.

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' Cmiw @ZeQerwom UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES lVI. STEVENSON, 0F ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HUNT, HELM, FERRIS 86 COMPANY, OF I-IJ-XIEtVl-LRD, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

OVERHEAD TRACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 27, 1911.

Patented Sept. 19, 1911.

Serial No. 617,165.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OHARLEs M. STEVEN- soN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rockford, in the county of Winnebago and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Overhead Tracks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in overhead-tracks, and is fully described and explained in the specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved construction; Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a bottom plan; Fig. 4 is a bottom plan of a portion of the rigid track on .a larger scale than that shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the line 5 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line 6 of Fig. 1.

The track herein shown is especially designed for use in connection with feed and litter-carriers. The use of such constructions, for the reasons pointed out in the application of Henry L. Ferris, filed March 8, 1911, Serial No. 613,116, it is desirable to use a rigid track inside the barn and a flexible track outside the barn and my present track is primarily designed to afford a simple and convenient combination structure of this character. There are, however, embodied within this construction certain features of novelty which are not necessarily used in a combination track of this character, so that while the present invention is designed as an improvement in tracks of this character, it is not wholly limited thereto.

Referring to the drawings, A are parallel hollow-tubular rails slot-ted at the bottom. The rails A being two of a large number of such rails forming a track which is laid out within the barn.

A are the end-rails of the rigid track, the same being exactly similar to the rails A, except as modified at their outer ends as will be hereinafter set forth. The rails A and A are spaced apart by spacers B, each of which consists of a perforated transversely-extending horizontal plate curved downwardly at b and thence upwardly at b and provided with cylindrical heads If, each of which is or may be notched at b on its upper surface, the extreme outer spacer toward the barn-door being necessarily so notched and the others being so notched, if desired. Each spacer is secured to the joists of the barn by means of a bracket B passed through its central perforations, each said bracket being of the form shown, described and claimed in the Ferris Patent No. 988,615, granted Feb. 7th, 1911.

Each of the end-rails A is provided near its end with a narrow slot or cut on that side adjacent to the other rail. The metal on the two sides of this cut is bent in and out, as illustrated in Fig. 3; the part of the metal adjacent to the barn-door being bent out and that away from the barn-door being bent in, so that by this simple expedient there is provided on the sides of the rails adjacent to each other openings of the size and character illustrated.

G is a flexible rod or wire forming the flexible part of a track. This flexible rod or wire has a bend c from which two parallel lengths of the rod or wire run side by side toward the door and out to a suitable support in the barn-yard. The bend 0 is secured to a hook D carried by one of the beams of the barn-structure and from this hook the two parallel lengths of rod or wire run diagonally downward to the plane of the rigid rails A and medially between said rails, as illustrated. These two parallel lengths pass under a strut E which is in the form of a bolt running downward from the beam of the barn-structure and forked at its lower end as shown in Fig. 6 to receive the lengths of wire, the said lengths being firmly held in position by means of a bolt 6 in an obvious manner. From this strut the two lengths of wire run in the plane of the rails A and flare apart, one of said lengths passing through each of the openings formed adjacent to the end of the corresponding rails A thus entering the hollow of said rails and passing thence, through the notches b of the heads of the spreaders B out of the ends of the rails A into the barn-yard where they lie parallel and serve their purpose in an obvious manner.

Upon a track thus formed it is possible to put a feed and litter-carrier or the like with a double hanger or carriage, which hanger will run freely upon the rigid track or the flexible track thus provided. It is manifest that the carrier will pass freely over the junction between the two tracks I am aware that considerable variation is possible in the details of the construction here illustrated, which is only the preferred form of embodying my invention, and therefore, by having described this preferred form in detail I do not intend to be limited thereto; my intention being in the claims following to set forth all of the novelty which is inherent in the construction illustrated and described.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In combination two parallel rigid hollow rails and flexible track lengths led into the ends thereof and out laterally on the I adjacent sidesthereof and supported medially of said rigid rails.

2. In combination two parallel hollow rigid rails, supporting means therefor running laterallytherefrom and thence upward to allow a clearance for hangers, flexible track lengths led into the ends of the rigid rails and out laterally on the same side as the supporting means and supported so as 'to afford a clearance for hangers.

3. In combination two parallel rigid hollow rails, supporting means therefor running laterally toward the center of the space between them and thence upward to allow a clearance for hangers, and flexible track lengths led into the ends thereof and out laterally on the adjacent sides thereof and supported medially of the rigid rails.

4c. In combination two parallel hollow rigid rails, supporting means therefor running laterally therefrom and thence upward to allow a clearance for hangers, each rigid rail being slotted on that side toward which the supporting means extends and bent in and out at the slot to form a lateral opening, and flexible lengths led into the ends of the rigid rails and out through the openings thus formed and supported so as to afford a clearance for hangers.

5. In combination two parallel rigid hollow rails, supporting means therefor running laterally toward the center of the space between the same and thence upward to allow a clearance for hangers, each rigid rail being slotted on that side adj acent'to the other rail and bent in and out at the slot to form a 7. In combination two parallel rigid hollow rails, supportmg means therefor runlateral opening, and flexible lengths led into the ends of the rigid rails and out through the opening and supported medially to afford a clearance for hangers.

6. In combination two parallel rigid hollow rails, supporting means therefor running laterally therefrom and thence upward to allow a clearance for hangers, and a single doubled flexible rod or wire supported at its bend between the plane of the rails and running laterally therefrom into the adjacent sides of the rails and out of their ends ning laterally toward the center of the space between the same and thence upward to allow a clearance for hangers, and a single doubled flexible rod or wire supported at its bend bet-ween the plane of the rails and running laterally therefrom into the adjacent sides of the rails and out of their ends.

8. In combination two parallel hollow rigid rails, supports therefor running laterally toward the center of the space between the same and thence upward to allow a clearance for hangers, the rails having openings in their adjacent sides near their ends and a single doubled flexible rod or wire supported at its bend between the plane of the rails and running laterally therefrom into the adjacent sides of the rails through the opening vand out at their ends.

9. In combination two parallel hollow rigid rails, supports therefor running laterally toward the center of the space between the same and thence upward to allow a clearance for hangers, the rails having openings in their adjacent sides near their ends and a single doubled flexible rod or wire supported at its bend between the plane of th rails and running laterally therefrom into the adjacent sides of the rails through the opening and out at their ends, and a central strut embracing the flexible rod or wire lying between the rigid sections.

10. Incombination two parallel rigid 1101- low rails, supporting means therefor running laterally therefrom and thence upward to allow a clearance for hangers, a single doubled flexible rod or wire supported at its bend between the planes of the rails and running laterally therefrom into the adjacent sides of the rails and out of their ends, and a terminal support having notched heads lying within the hollow rigid rails to hold the rod or wire in proper position.

11. In combination two parallel hollow rigid rails and two suitably supported flexible rails running from the ends thereof, and a spacer having notched heads lying within the end of the rigid rails, the notches holding the flexible rails in proper relation.

12. In combination two parallel rigid rails and flexible track lengths led into the ends In testimony whereof I have hereunto set thereof and laterally therefrom so as to afmy hand and affixed my seal this 11th day of ford a clearance for hangers. March, 1911. v

13. In combination two parallel rigid CHARLES M. STEVENSON. [L- s-] rails, central supports therefor, and two In the presence of parallel flexible rails running into the ends R. A. JACOBS, of the rigid rails and to a medial support. R. A. HEMENWAY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents, Washington, D. G. 

